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Daisha Simmons has more reasons to celebrate the Fourth of July outside of it being a national holiday.

The senior point guard informed the Montgomery Advertiser today that Alabama has finally released her from her athletic scholarship. Simmons said she received a letter in the mail Thursday stating she had been released from her scholarship.

Simmons said she had been denied a release despite having already graduated from Alabama last December with a bachelor's degree in business management. She had initially agreed to return for her senior year, but changed her mind after the spring semester, stating she wanted to be near ailing family members and pursue an MBA at a school in her home area.

From Jersey City, N.J., Simmons said the Alabama coaches kept telling her she couldn't transfer because she had transferred before. Simmons started her college career at Rutgers before transferring to Alabama after her freshman year.

Alabama eventually gave Simmons permission to talk with Seton Hall and St. John's after Simmons said she got a lawyer to send a letter to the school's compliance office last month, but hadn't granted her a full release until now. With a year of eligibility remaining, Simmons said she's been admitted into the MBA program at Seton Hall and plans to play for the Pirates this upcoming 2014-15 season.

The NCAA must first clear Simmons to play in order to do so at Seton Hall, which is located in New Jersey and just 30 minutes from her home. Simmons' decision to transfer came in part because she couldn't get into the MBA program at Alabama.

The 6-foot Simmons averaged 13.8 points, 5.4 rebounds and led the Tide in assists with 128 in 2013-14. Alabama finished 14-16 last season under first-year coach Kristy Curry.